The history of London’s theatres is almost the history of London itself, so enmeshed is the West End with the cultural tapestry of the capital. Folklore, tales of catastrophe and the personalities who make their name in the Smoke; all surround the bright lights of theatreland, and every year millions of tourists are entranced by the sweeping architecture and picture book antiquity of London’s glamorous pathway to the stars. Every name trips off the tongue even if you have never ...